Tree surgeon to forestry technician
A tree surgeon already meets 19% of what the forestry technician role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
82.3/ 100
1 How much of what a forestry technician is expected to do is already part of a tree surgeon’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the forestry technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A forestry technician role treats 5 of its required skills as things a tree surgeon already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- de-limb trees
- forest ecology
- maintain forestry equipment
- operate forestry equipment
- perform tree thinning
What stands in the way is 18 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A forestry technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a tree surgeon background worth leading with.
- already held operate forestry equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held perform tree thinning handling and moving
- already held advise on tree issues communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held maintain forestry equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held forest ecology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held de-limb trees handling and moving
All 6 carried skills, including the 5 the forestry technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 32 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn conduct reforestation surveys required
- still to learn manage forest fires required
- still to learn monitor logging operations required
- still to learn monitor work site required
- optional, not held monitor workload optional
- optional, not held monitor forest productivity optional
- optional, not held report pollution incidents optional
- optional, not held read maps optional
- still to learn apply prescribed herbicides required
- still to learn vegetation control required
- still to learn plant green plants required
- still to learn logging required
- still to learn reforestation required
- optional, not held sustainable forest management optional
- still to learn apply forest legislation required
- still to learn provide first aid required
- still to learn habitat restoration required
- still to learn environmental policy required
- still to learn coordinate timber sales required
- optional, not held advise on timber harvest optional
- optional, not held advise supervisors optional
- optional, not held work in a forestry team optional
- optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a forestry technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 apply prescribed herbicides practise this
- 02 maintain forest roads practise this
- 03 vegetation control practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 6 skills that carry over
- already held de-limb trees skill
- already held forest ecology knowledge
- already held maintain forestry equipment skill
- already held operate forestry equipment skill
- already held perform tree thinning skill
- already held advise on tree issues skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn supervise forestry workers required
- optional, not held lead a team in forestry services optional
- optional, not held monitor drivers optional
- still to learn maintain forest roads required
- optional, not held monitor equipment condition optional
- still to learn ecosystem management required
- still to learn fire-fighting systems required
- optional, not held operate GPS systems optional
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held monitor workload optional
- optional, not held advise on timber harvest optional
- optional, not held advise supervisors optional
- optional, not held lead a team in forestry services optional
- optional, not held monitor forest productivity optional
- optional, not held report pollution incidents optional
- optional, not held sustainable forest management optional
- optional, not held work in a forestry team optional
- optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
- optional, not held monitor drivers optional
- optional, not held monitor equipment condition optional
- optional, not held operate GPS systems optional
- optional, not held read maps optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
20 held skills the forestry technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse tree population skill
- not needed by the target role assist tree identification skill
- not needed by the target role carry out aerial tree rigging skill
- not needed by the target role climb trees skill
- not needed by the target role conserve forests skill
- not needed by the target role control tree diseases skill
- not needed by the target role estimate damage skill
- not needed by the target role execute disease and pest control activities skill
- not needed by the target role fell trees skill
- not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- not needed by the target role identify trees to fell skill
- not needed by the target role inspect trees skill
- not needed by the target role measure trees skill
- not needed by the target role minimize risks in tree operations skill
- not needed by the target role monitor tree health skill
- not needed by the target role nurse trees skill
- not needed by the target role operate chainsaw skill
- not needed by the target role protect trees skill
- not needed by the target role select tree felling methods skill
- not needed by the target role tree preservation and conservation knowledge
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn ecosystem management required
- still to learn habitat restoration required
- still to learn logging required
- still to learn reforestation required
- still to learn environmental policy required
- still to learn fire-fighting systems required
- optional, not held sustainable forest management optional
Common questions about this move
Can a tree surgeon become a forestry technician?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A tree surgeon already covers 19% of what a forestry technician is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 5 of which the forestry technician role treats as required.
What skills does a tree surgeon need to become a forestry technician?
18 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is apply prescribed herbicides.
How hard is the move from tree surgeon to forestry technician?
Its learning distance is 82.3 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.